Conficker (nasty computer worm)-Protect yourselves

ethiostar

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FYI-For those who are not already aware.

Last-minute Conficker survival guide

http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=AlVzGH...ull-523526516-1238522196.jpg?ymU1.BBDEhi1di.JTomorrow -- April 1 -- is D-Day for Conficker, as whatever nasty payload it's packing is currently set to activate. What happens come midnight is a mystery: Will it turn the millions of infected computers into spam-sending zombie robots? Or will it start capturing everything you type -- passwords, credit card numbers, etc. -- and send that information back to its masters?

No one knows, but we'll probably find out soon.

Or not. As Slate notes, Conficker is scheduled to go "live" on April 1, but whoever's controlling it could choose not to wreak havoc but instead do absolutely nothing, waiting for a time when there's less heat. They can do this because the way Conficker is designed is extremely clever: Rather than containing a list of specific, static instructions, Conficker reaches out to the web to receive updated marching orders via a huge list of websites it creates. Conficker.C -- the latest bad boy -- will start checking 50,000 different semi-randomly-generated sites a day looking for instructions, so there's no way to shut down all of them. If just one of those sites goes live with legitimate instructions, Conficker keeps on trucking.

Conficker's a nasty little worm that takes serious efforts to bypass your security defenses, but you aren't without some tools in your arsenal to protect yourself.

Your first step should be the tools you already have: Windows Update, to make sure your computer is fully patched, and your current antivirus software, to make sure anything that slips through the cracks is caught.
But if Conficker's already on your machine, it may bypass certain subsystems and updating Windows and your antivirus at this point may not work. If you are worried about anything being amiss -- try booting into Safe Mode, which Conficker prevents, to check -- you should run a specialized tool to get rid of Conficker.

Microsoft offers a web-based scanner (note that some users have reported it crashed their machines; I had no trouble with it), so you might try one of these downloadable options instead: Symantec's Conficker (aka Downadup) tool, Trend Micro's Cleanup Engine, or Malwarebytes. Conficker may prevent your machine from accessing any of these websites, so you may have to download these tools from a known non-infected computer if you need them. Follow the instructions given on each site to run them successfully. (Also note: None of these tools should harm your computer if you don't have Conficker.)

As a final safety note, all users -- whether they're worried about an infection or know for sure they're clean -- are also wise to make a full data backup today.

What won't work? Turning your PC off tonight and back on on April 2 will not protect you from the worm (sorry to the dozens of people who wrote me asking if this would do the trick). Temporarily disconnecting your computer from the web won't help if the malware is already on your machine -- it will simply activate once you connect again. Changing the date on your PC will likely have no helpful effect, either. And yes, Macs are immune this time out. Follow the above instructions to detect and remove the worm.
 

ethiostar

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Yeagermeister;2710971 said:
Turn off your computer

What won't work? Turning your PC off tonight and back on on April 2 will not protect you from the worm (sorry to the dozens of people who wrote me asking if this would do the trick).

Apparently it's a virus that is already in the system (if your PC wasn't properly protected by now) and will stay dormant until April 1st.
 

Bob Sacamano

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ethiostar;2710980 said:
Apparently it's a virus that is already in the system (if your PC wasn't properly protected by now) and will stay dormant until April 1st.

so if you've had anti-virus on your computer, and you've been constantly updating your computer (I have weekly scans), you should be fine?
 

Yeagermeister

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JerryAdvocate;2710989 said:
so if you've had anti-virus on your computer, and you've been constantly updating your computer (I have weekly scans), you should be fine?

possibly
 

ethiostar

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JerryAdvocate;2710989 said:
so if you've had anti-virus on your computer, and you've been constantly updating your computer (I have weekly scans), you should be fine?

Yes, i believe so.

You should also do your Windows update asap and down load available patches, if you haven't done it in the last day or so.

I'm not a computer guru so you should read up on it.
 

the kid 05

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JerryAdvocate;2710989 said:
so if you've had anti-virus on your computer, and you've been constantly updating your computer (I have weekly scans), you should be fine?

there is no hope...y2k9 is coming!
 

kmp77

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Download and run these 2 programs ASAP:

1) Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
2) Spybot - search and destroy
 

CowboyWay

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I'm just not going to turn on my computer until April 2nd.
 

BrAinPaiNt

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CowboyWay;2711107 said:
I'm just not going to turn on my computer until April 2nd.

I hope you are joking because that will not stop it if it is already on your computer.
 

Bob Sacamano

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kmp77;2711033 said:
Download and run these 2 programs ASAP:

1) Malwarebytes Anti-Malware
2) Spybot - search and destroy

can you provide safe links for those? thanks in advance
 

ethiostar

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ethiostar;2710980 said:
What won't work? Turning your PC off tonight and back on on April 2 will not protect you from the worm (sorry to the dozens of people who wrote me asking if this would do the trick).

Apparently it's a virus that is already in the system (if your PC wasn't properly protected by now) and will stay dormant until April 1st.

CowboyWay;2711107 said:
I'm just not going to turn on my computer until April 2nd.

:confused:

In case you're not joking.
 
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